Built by the Spaniards at the end of the 15th century, the fortress guarded the former frontier between Spain and France. Its layout and architecture, innovative for the time, present a rare example of the transition between medieval castle and the fortresses of the modern period. The fort was captured by the French in 1642, and remained French since the Treaty of the Pyrenees. Fort de Salses is listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture, and is operated by the Centre des monuments nationaux. The fortress receives 100,000 visitors a year.